A new role for a new era of innovation
Deidre Szemerei will be familiar to many in the print industry in South Africa, and she will now be bringing her trademark energy and passion to bear in a new role. As Head of Print at Kemtek, Deidre is ideally placed to help South African PSPs benefit from the latest innovations in print, and she has already hit the ground running.
A strategic move
Kemtek’s decision to create two divisions from its print business is ultimately a function of the company’s desire to better serve its customers by forging deeper relationships, and by introducing greater innovation.
Onboarding Canon as a technology partner provided the perfect opportunity to create a new Print Division – headed by Deidre – to focus on Epson LFP and Canon solutions. Meanwhile, the Industrial Print & Finishing Division (headed by Mags Govender) will continue to concentrate on HP Indigo and associated finishing solutions.
The clear rationale behind this decision was to create two agile divisions concentrating on different markets and segments. The divisions can benefit from the synergies that exist between them, but at the same time, they will have the flexibility and versatility to better align with specific OEMs, and ensure that Kemtek customers are provided with the optimum solutions for their current and future needs.
An exciting opportunity
In her new role, Deidre is looking forward to implementing the systems and processes needed to more effectively bring digital and LFP print technologies to the market, and helping customers optimise their investments in new technologies.
Deidre is determined to underscore Kemtek’s positioning as a force to be reckoned with in print. She is focused on leveraging new opportunities for Epson LFP printers and Canon digital printers by identifying market sectors where they are not currently playing.
Of course, the two Kemtek divisions will collaborate closely, especially where they face common challenges and issues. Each will look to identify opportunities that the other can leverage in search of better customer outcomes. Technology partners will also benefit from the increased scope to take products and services to market offered by this new platform.
Innovation continues at pace
The changes at Kemtek coincided with the unveiling of new print innovations at drupa. Deidre reports that her team returned to South Africa invigorated by the pace of change they had witnessed, especially in the areas of AI and sustainability.
Within the print industry, AI is not merely a buzzword. As Deidre describes it, artificial intelligence is already enabling greater automation and enhancing productivity through anticipating maintenance innovations, streamlining job planning, and reducing the need for human oversight. These efficiencies include reducing waste through more effective task management – in this way, AI innovations are empowering a new green revolution in printing.
Innovation offers the possibility of mitigating rising costs, and is spurring increased spending on R&D by OEMs. This spirit of healthy competition is leading to accelerated innovation, especially in the areas of print output quality, augmented workflow management, increased speed and options for remote management and oversight.
A brighter future
Deidre predicts that both AI and 3D printing will inspire massive industry change, at the same time as enabling possibilities such as individual customer marketing and improved augmented reality experiences. Printshops will be able to do more, better, in less time, with human operators gaining the freedom to focus on the more creative and strategic aspects of their roles.
Kemtek’s new print division will have a key role to play in shaping this future, as they continue to expand beyond technology and offer not just the right technology, but the right service levels to each customer. In this way, Kemtek will solidify its reputation as a solutions provider, and the whole print industry will benefit.
To learn more about innovation in print, contact Deidre Szemerei at deidres@kemtek.co.za or on +27 (0)84 874 0712. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidre-szemerei/?originalSubdomain=za
